Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 545: The Elegant Her

Chapter 545: The Elegant Her

He clicked on the screen and saw Ella sitting gracefully on an intricately carved chair, her hand gently resting on her belly, a look of warmth and serenity on her face.

The sunlight cascaded down like golden threads, illuminating the surroundings with a soft glow. The golden hue gently kissed her face, outlining her exquisite and breathtaking features with an unparalleled elegance.

When did Ella start modeling for someone else? Why didn’t he know about this?

A shadow of displeasure flickered across Eric’s face. He despised the idea of other men seeing his wife at her most beautiful.

Ella belonged to him—no one else should dare covet her.

Just then, a crisp voice came from outside the private room. "Miss Davis, you’re here too?"

Eric looked up and saw a young man walk in. He had delicate features, carrying an air of youthful exuberance.

He couldn’t be older than twenty-one, dressed in a white sports outfit. A sheen of sweat clung to his high-bridged nose.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, he quickly wiped the sweat from his nose. Noticing Eric, he paused momentarily before regaining his composure.

Eric was about to speak when his phone rang. He had no choice but to step aside to take the call.

Ella furrowed her brows. How was it that she kept running into this boy?

The young man looked thrilled. In truth, he had secretly been waiting outside LXL Entertainment, and when he saw Ella leaving with Eric, he had impulsively hailed a taxi to follow them.

Pretending it was a coincidence, he wanted to invite Ella to a meal. Though he knew her husband wouldn’t be easy to deal with, he had no ulterior motives—just gratitude and admiration that made him act so recklessly.

"I made plans to eat here with my classmates, but I didn’t expect to run into you two. How about I treat you to a meal?"

The young man smiled. "My name is Liam. I’m a sophomore at S University, majoring in arts."

"No need. I don’t like being treated to meals by others," Ella replied calmly, glancing at Eric, whose expression had turned ice-cold.

He was engaged in a conversation on the phone, his eyes carrying a sharp intensity that made the air around him feel heavy.

Liam felt a little awkward and scratched his face. "Oh... well, then how about you treat me instead?"

Uh... was he serious? Was there really someone this shameless?

Ella was speechless. Was Liam blind? Could he not tell that they were a family of four having a private meal and clearly weren’t welcoming any strangers?

Seeing Ella’s deadpan expression, Liam quickly laughed. "Haha, I was just joking! I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll go wait for my classmates. Here’s my number—I’d love to invite your whole family to dinner sometime."

At that moment, Eric let out a cold laugh. "We don’t eat cheap meals. I doubt you could afford it."

Liam looked up, locking eyes with Eric’s icy gaze. The man had already finished his call, his lips curving into a sarcastic smirk.

Liam’s embarrassment deepened, and his face turned red. He knew Eric was a big name—one of the most prominent young businessmen in the country at barely thirty.

And he was just a broke student. A single meal at a place like this could cost thousands. Even the prestigious Golden River Award prize money was only 2,000 yuan.

"Don’t take it to heart," Ella quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over. She wasn’t particularly fond of Liam, but he didn’t seem to have bad intentions.

That reddened face, that shy smile—he was nothing more than an innocent young man.

"Sorry for interrupting. I’ll be off now. Let’s stay in touch!" Liam said, still blushing, before awkwardly making his exit.

Eric sat back down, his brows knitted together. "Why do you even know a kid like that?"

That guy was exactly the type of so-called ’fresh meat’ that middle-aged women fawned over—young, energetic, and exuding youthful charm.

Ella briefly recounted the events from the other day.

Eric’s expression darkened. "So, he painted it while you weren’t paying attention? Very well, then I have every reason to buy that painting back."

The thought of his woman’s portrait hanging in another man’s home made him deeply uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was the lingering frustration from the previous photos, but Eric felt an unsettling irritation building inside him, a suppressed anger that had yet to find an outlet.

But he didn’t want to take it out on Ella.

Ella frowned. "It’s just a painting. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it?"

"Are you pleading for him?"

"No, Eric, that’s not what I meant." Sensing the sharpness in his tone, Ella quickly changed the subject.

"Elias, do you want anything else? What about you, Dorian?"

The two little ones had shiny, grease-stained lips, and Dorian’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Mommy, I want KFC!"

"That junk food is off-limits," Eric objected immediately.

"Uh, Daddy, it’s not like we eat it every day. Just once a month isn’t too much! Please, Daddy, can we go?" The three-year-old had already mastered the art of acting cute and pleading for food.

Dorian ran to Eric’s side, tugging at his sleeve, pouting in an adorably stubborn way.

Eric had no choice but to pick up his younger son. "Finish your bowl of rice first, and I’ll take you."

Elias let out a cheer, and the tense atmosphere lightened. Ella didn’t dwell on Liam anymore. After they finished eating, Eric kept his word and took the boys to KFC.

However, he didn’t eat anything himself, only sipping on a Coke while the two kids happily devoured their fries and grilled chicken drumsticks.

Ella also ordered a Coke but only took a few sips before passing it to her sons to share.

Although fast food wasn’t particularly nutritious, just as Dorian had said, having it once a month wouldn’t hurt.

After eating, they strolled around a bit before heading home.

When they arrived, Ella noticed John waiting in the living room. The moment he saw Eric, he lowered his voice and reported, "Boss, we got what you asked for."

Eric’s gaze swept over the framed painting resting against the side. It was the award-winning portrait of Ella that had received the Golden River Prize.

Ella was slightly taken aback—she hadn’t expected Eric to act so swiftly. Within just a few hours, he had managed to buy the painting.

"Don’t worry, I paid 500,000 for it," Eric said casually, glancing at her.

He had given John a card with 500,000 to hand over to Liam—an amount that, for a struggling student, was undeniably substantial.

Ella didn’t see anything wrong with it. Given Liam’s situation, he could certainly use the money.

But... that name... It felt strangely familiar. Had she seen it somewhere before?

"Was he willing to sell it to you?" Ella thought for a moment and then turned to John.

John hesitated briefly before replying, "He agreed. After all, he needs the money."

Ella pursed her lips but didn’t say anything else.

Eric picked up the painting and hung it in his study.

Though the artwork was created by another man—something that didn’t sit well with him—he had to admit that the painting was skillfully done, with stunningly delicate and elegant colors.

He had initially considered tearing it apart, but it was simply too beautiful—so beautiful that he couldn’t bring himself to destroy it.

Ella walked into the room as well, gazing at the exquisite painting. It seemed that Liam had the potential to surpass Brandon one day.

From behind, Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, his warm lips pressing gently against her delicate earlobe.